


We've Survived Worse

by SaraJaye



Series: Ever After 'Verse [9]
Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: Adoption, Anxiety, Domestic Fluff, Family Feels, M/M, Mac and Cheese, Mention of cancer, Parent-Bragging, mentioned parental death, pregnancy mention
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-01-06
Updated: 2019-01-06
Packaged: 2019-10-05 14:08:40
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,102
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17326451
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SaraJaye/pseuds/SaraJaye
Summary: Allura's second pregnancy makes Shiro want to adopt another kid. He didn't expect for twins to fall into his lap a week later.





	We've Survived Worse

The first thing Shiro sees when he checks SpaceBook for the first time in days is a positive pregnancy test. When Keith peeks over his shoulder to see what's so funny, he almost drops the bowl of eggs he's whisking.

"Who is this woman and what has she done with Allura? Remember how she just barely let Lance get away with doing that when she was pregnant with the twins?" He pours the eggs into the pan while Shiro slides four pieces of bread into the toaster and sets it to medium.

"Remember how he kept texting us pictures of her ultrasounds?" He shakes his head. "It's like Embarrassing Dad Mode was a dormant setting for him, just _waiting_ to go off, it took him until Emmeline and Alor were two to tone it down." Keith snorts, glancing over his shoulder.

"Like you have any room to talk, _Takashi._ " He grins. "Remember when we first brought Athena home? You spent half of break time bragging about her and showed everyone a pic of her brushing her teeth!" Shiro blushes, grabbing a few plates from the cabinet. He'd gotten quite a bit of ribbing for that one, even Athena had made fun of him for it. _Daddy, I'm not a cat cleaning myself! Brushing your teeth is so boring!_ But he wasn't the only one who went dad-crazy, and Keith knows it.

"I'm not the one who hung every little scribbly drawing she did on the refrigerator for a month, babe," he teases. "And remember when we brought Sven home? You watched him sleep every night for two weeks, and I caught you crying a few of those nights." Keith turns off the heat under the eggs and puts the wooden spoon down, turning to Shiro with a pout.

"You _know_ why, Shiro."

"Yeah, I do." Shiro sets the plates down and wraps his arms around his husband, stroking his hair. While Keith had been over the moon with Athena and adored her instantly, their son held such a special place in his heart due to their similar circumstances. Sven, a boy who hadn't even had a name for six years, brushed off as a bad seed due to the bad choices made by his relatives. Even now, remembering those dark times is tough for Keith.

"Is Daddy sad again?" Shiro loosens his hold as they turn around to see Athena and Sven in the kitchen, dressed for school. Sven's hair needs combing, though, and Athena's holding a hairbrush and a rubber band. Keith smiles, patting each of them on the head as he leads them to the table.

"I'm fine, kiddo. Your daddy just gets soft and sappy whenever he thinks about my past." Shiro shrugs, dishing up the eggs and slicing the toast into neat triangles. Two on each plate, plus butter and jelly for anyone who wants.

"Kids, when you meet that one special person, you'll cry when you learn about their hardships, too," he says. "Athena, you're gonna be close to dating age soon, so watch out for that!" Athena rolls her eyes, taking her place across from Keith at the table.

"Right, crying over someone's sad life means true love."

"Father, we are not all like you and Papa," Sven says. He's picked up a touch of sass from his sister over the years, which is too cute for Shiro to despair at. He sits down beside Keith, Sven beside Athena, and they keep the chatter going over breakfast. It's raining, so Shiro drives them to the bus stop once they're ready to go.

 

All throughout the day, though, Allura's post nibbles at the back of his mind. Thinking of Lance and how ecstatic he must be right now, at the prospect of becoming a father a second time. He's heard that no matter how many children you have, it's always a joy when a new one is on the way. The pride he felt upon bringing Sven home was no less than when they adopted Athena, or when Kosmo became a father and the Holts let them have first pick of the puppies.

They have two lovely children, a big space wolf, and an adorable dog-wolf hybrid. Traditionally, that's the ideal family unit.

But Shiro and Keith have never been traditional. None of their little group has, really, and by the end of the day, Shiro is seriously imagining bringing a third child into the Shirogane household.

He waits for Keith to finish getting dinner in the oven before he brings it up, though.

"So what do you say, baby? Think it's time we expanded our little family?" Keith, leaning against his chest, looks up thoughtfully.

"Would you believe I was thinking about that on the way home? I just wasn't sure how to bring it up." Shiro chuckles. They say when you're really close to a person, mind links aren't that out of the ordinary.

"We might have to wait a while this time," he says. "Athena and Sven were kind of special cases, but now that the war's been over a while and the orphanages aren't as crowded, it could be a year before we're approved this time."

"Yeah, I know." Keith nods. "But I don't mind. It's something to look forward to, you know? Besides, it'll give Sven and Athena time to get used to the idea." Sven isn't overly invested in his position as the baby of the family right now, but sometimes the territorial feeling comes on without warning. Shiro's heard stories from other parents at work about that sort of thing.

"So we're definitely doing this?" He kisses Keith's forehead. Keith smiles, cuddling closer.

"Yeah, we're doing this. I'll get some files tomorrow and we'll look through them."

 

The next week ticks by without incident, Keith and Shiro having chosen three kids out of fifty to meet with. Sven and Athena seem surprisingly chipper about the idea, especially Sven, who loves the idea of being someone's big brother. They make plans to visit the orphanage on Sunday.

Saturday they gets a call. Keith picks up, Shiro hears him go _you're kidding_ and _no, how does that even work_ and _are they sure_ a few times before he hangs up. He's not sure what to make of the other's stunned expression when he walks into the kitchen.

"This old lady just called. She and her husband are getting _too_ old to look after their grandkids, could they please bring them by to meet the Black Paladin and Admiral Shirogane?" He shakes his head. "And it didn't sound like we were just the first stop before they tried a bunch of other families, either. Shiro...they want _us_ to take care of these kids."

It's a miracle Shiro doesn't choke on his coffee, swallowing quickly and setting the cup down so fast it splashes over the side.

"But...they know it's not like thay anymore, right? I mean-"

"They don't trust the orphanage to raise them right until someone takes them home, and that could take ages. Their son just died of cancer, their daughter-in-law was killed in a Galra attack, none of the other relatives can take them," Keith sighs. "They've been in talks with the orphanage's administration, the government, they've had this planned for months!"

"Damn." Shiro grabs a paper napkin and wipes up the spilled coffee. "So what happens if they bring the kids over and they're not a good fit for us? Do they know we've got dogs, what if they're allergic? What if they don't get along with Sven or Athena?" A million other little worries swirl in his mind, and he buries his head in his hands. "What were these people _thinking_?!"

"Shiro, _breathe._ " Keith's standing behind him in an instant, rubbing his shoulders. "I know, it's crazy. But listen, at least they're giving us a chance to meet the kids first? It didn't sound like they had the papers all ready to go, so maybe they do have a second choice just in case."

Shiro exhales, slowly lifting his head, gazing upward into Keith's eyes.

"I hope you're right."

"Me too." Keith drapes himself over the back of the chair, burying his face in Shiro's neck.

They tell Athena and Sven as soon as they get back from the Reynolds house, and they all spend the rest of the day cleaning. It's the thing to do when you're having important guests, and part of Shiro secretly hopes these new kids will be a good fit after all. But he doesn't tell Keith or the kids, because he doesn't want to get anyone's hopes up. Especially his own.

 

Nobody eats much at breakfast that morning. They're nervous, especially Sven, and at one point Keith's drumming his fork on the table for a full minute before he realizes he's doing it.

Beth and Robert Canfield arrive just a few minutes before ten, accompanied by a social worker and a government agent. The children follow them into the house quietly; they're twins, Shiro notices. Twins with olive skin, dark blue eyes, and curly brown hair. The only difference is that the boy's hair is cut closer to his head, and the girl's wearing a starfish-patterned headband. Their names are Danny and Lisa, according to the bright yellow name they wear.

_Oh, no, they're cute._

"Hello, Admiral Shirogane, sir," Lisa says solemnly.

"It's nice to meet you, Mr. Black Paladin," Danny adds. Keith smiles, leading them over to the couch.

"Hey, you don't need to be so formal with us," he says. "We're just regular guys, this is just a regular house. You want a snack or anything?" The girl smiles and the boy makes a noise like an excited puppy; Shiro's eyes catch Keith's, and he can sense the other's resolve in danger of crumbling. Especially when Sven and Athena introduce themselves. Danny is drawn into Athena's chatter easily, and Lisa's eyes light up when she sees Sven's copy of _Stuart Little._

"Thank you all for coming," Keith says once the kids are settled in with snacks. There's water boiling for tea on the stove, at Beth's request, while Robert does a poor job of pretending he's not searching for dog hairs.

"Don't mind him," Beth says, "he's a bit of a neat freak. Our house was the cleanest on the block and it still wasn't enough for him!" Shiro laughs, but Keith frowns.

"Neither of them's _allergic,_ are they?"

"Oh, no! Of course not, we knew about your dogs going in," Robert explains. "Lisa adores dogs of all kinds, in fact." Keith gives a sigh of relief. The social worker introduces herself as Olivia, the government agent as Mr. Bradford, and they ease into the question and answer phase.

Danny comes out of his shell almost instantly, Shiro can't help making a mental comparison to Lance as a cadet, or even in their early Voltron days. His grandparents, Olivia, Mr. Bradford, even Lisa have to nudge him to be quiet if he talks out of turn. Shiro honestly doesn't mind, though, and Keith seems to find it endearing.

"Danny's a bit of a handful," Beth explains, "he likes to be noticed."

"He's very immature," says Lisa, and Shiro wonders how a five-year-old knows the meaning of such a word.

"Lisa, however, tries to play like she's older and knows it all," Olivia explains. "It's usually harmless, but sometimes we have to have a little talk with her when she gets too bossy."

"I was born five whole minutes before Danny!" Lisa protests. "That makes me the big sister." Shiro glances at Keith, who seems a tiny bit unsure all over again. Athena and Sven have had their differences and their squabbles, but never any real rivalry like the parenting blogs warn about. They seem to get along just fine with the twins right now, but Shiro can sense an underlying tension that could surface the moment they sign the adoption papers.

When the basic question period is over, Athena takes the twins to the mud room to meet Kosmo and Yurak.

"What if they don't get along?" Keith asks, and Shiro smiles gratefully at him. "I mean, from what I'm seeing Lisa's used to being in charge, she might resent Athena for being the oldest. Danny doesn't seem too impressed by Sven, and Sven's still kinda shy, he might just _let_ Lisa boss him and Danny give him a bad time."

"Plus, Athena's still pretty wild even if she's growing up," Shiro adds. "I guess we're a little nervous our more or less functional little family is going to turn into a madhouse." He sighs. "You'd think after being Space Dad to a bunch of teenagers I wouldn't be so worried, but..."

"But these are our own kids. We're directly responsible for how they turn out," Keith finishes. The Canfields, Mr. Bradford, and Olivia are quiet, Olivia's brow furrowing and Mr. Bradford frowning; suddenly, Shiro wonders if he should have kept quiet. It's _silly,_ now that he thought of it. He and Keith had wanted to adopt another kid anyway.

_But we assumed we'd have more time to prepare. We figured it'd take about a year of visits, meetings, paperwork, and we'd have time to study sibling rivalry and get advice from other parents._

"We understand if you've changed your minds," Keith says. "It's not that we don't want Danny and Lisa, we just don't want them to be miserable here if they don't click well with our kids."

Robert and Beth exchange a guilty look, Beth folding her hands in her lap and Robert shaking his head.

"We owe you an apology," Beth sighs. "The children have been through too much in just five years. Their mother died when they were barely three, their father kept getting sicker and sicker, when he went back into the hospital for the last time we became their guardians. And now, we have to give them away...they cried so much when we explained it to them, but..."

"A few months ago we saw a clip from that _where are they now_ special about Voltron," Robert continues. "And Captain, you've always been Lisa's hero, she loves everything to do with air and space. Reporter said Mr. Shirogane was good with kids, too. Lisa and Danny, they started going on and on about how they wanted _you_ to be their dads if they couldn't be with me and Beth anymore!"

"They didn't even get a chance to say goodbye to their father in person while he was dying. All they got was a phone call," Beth finishes. "After all they've been through, we just can't deny them anything. And you two...well, the orphanage said your first children were so _happy_ with you as their parents."

And suddenly Shiro feels horrible for ever doubting them, or having misgivings about the twins. Really, how many people, especially young children, get to pick their own families? How many grandparents love their grandchildren so much they'd settle for no less than the best for them?

He glances at Keith, whose eyes are wide and moist. It's like with Sven all over again, he can _relate,_ and he knows Keith wishes he could have chosen his own home after his father died. If he'd been able to live with his father's partner or the chief, who knows how much better his life could have been?

He hears the kids' laughter, Yurak's barks, Kosmo's playful growls. When the children return, Athena's giving Lisa a piggyback ride and Danny is telling Sven about the latest episode of his favorite cartoon. Which also happens to be one of Sven's favorites.

Even if it's just right now, even if problems crop up later, how could Shiro have ever thought they would be so bad it warranted backing out of the whole idea? Keith's eyes meet his; how many times have they suffered, struggled, nearly been torn apart by the universe but refused to give up on each other?

Never giving up is what bound them together. They saved the universe, they can handle this.

"We'll do it," Shiro finally says. Olivia smiles.

"I'll check in on you once a week for the next month, just to see how things are going," she says. The Canfields give a sigh of relief, and Mr. Bradford visibly relaxes.

"That sounds more like the heroes we all know and love," he chuckles.

"So are Danny and Lisa going to be with us? For good?" Sven asks. "I like having someone to watch _Battle of the Planets Reborn_ with!" Shiro smiles, getting up to ruffle his hair.

"Looks like it!"

They get the paperwork filled out in record time while the kids look over their shoulders. Mr. Bradford needs to get back to the orphanage, but Olivia and the Canfields accept Keith's offer to stay for lunch.

"How do you guys feel about mac and cheese?" he asks. Lisa's eyes light up.

"From scratch, right?"

"Dad makes the _best_ homemade mac and cheese, after Uncle Hunk," Athena assures her. The kids set the table with some help from Olivia, while Beth and Robert take their turn meeting the dogs. Leaving Keith and Shiro alone in the kitchen as Keith gets out his ingredients.

"Looks like it worked out for the best after all," Shiro says. Keith nods, leaning against him with a soft smile.

"It really says something that our kids just fall into our laps like this, doesn't it?" he murmurs. Shiro kisses the top of his head.

"It says something about _you_ , Starlight. You've been a great dad since we brought Athena home, and you've got the biggest heart in the galaxy when it comes to kids in need," he says. "Sorry I panicked earlier."

"Hey, I did, too." Keith smiles. "But we got through it, and we're gonna be fine. We've faced greater odds, after all."

"And I'd face them all over again for you."

Their lips meet in a soft kiss that lasts about half a minute before a chorus of _awwwww_ s interrupts them.

"They do that a lot, by the way," Athena tells the twins. "You get used to it." Shiro chuckles, letting Keith go.

"Want some help?" he asks. Keith nods, handing him the grater and the block of cheese. One of the great things about his Altean arm? It never gets sore or tired.

Later that evening, Shiro posts a picture of the twins and their signed adoption certificate on SpaceBook.

 _Now who's parent-bragging?_ Allura's comment teases. Keith chuckles as he looks over his shoulder.

"It's contagious."

**Author's Note:**

> Of course they named the puppy Yurak. It was Keith's idea and Krolia was the first person he told when they brought him home.


End file.
